One Ingredient Crepes (Gluten-Free and Paleo)

January 11, 2013

These amazing flourless crepes are gluten and dairy-free and require only one kitchen staple: eggs. (I don’t consider water to be an ingredient). But more on that and how to make them later. First, let me back up and tell you about my fondness for crepes and how miraculous I consider it to be able to feast on these once again, while remaining completely paleo compliant.

Growing up, crepes were a favourite treat at my house. My mom used to make huge batches, stacking them in a tall, neat pile as she worked her way through the batter. The crepes would disappear almost faster than she could make them. Few things beat hot, slightly greasy crepes, fresh from the stovetop, smeared with your favourite topping, and rolled or folded haphazardly just before being popped into your mouth.

So it was quite the joyous occasion when I realized that not only is it possible to make crepes without flour, but that they taste just as good as the original ones. When I made these for my parents, they could hardly believe that their family classic had been paleo-fied. Without a doubt, these crepes will be in my regular rotation of goodies. They’re very easy to make, versatile, and delicious. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Ingredients:

Makes approx. 6-7 crepes; serves 2

5 Eggs (One egg makes slightly more than one crepe)

1/3 cup water (approx. 1 Tbsp. per egg)

ghee or butter (you can use coconut oil, but it’ll be harder to get that golden hue)

Preparation:

1) Heat large pan over medium-high heat.

2) Combine eggs and water in a bowl.

3) Whisk vigorously, just enough to break apart the eggs and combine them with the water. The “batter” should be uniform, but does not need to be frothy.

4) Once the pan is hot, add a small amount of ghee or coconut oil, just to lightly coat the pan.

5) Ladle slightly less than 1/4 cup of the batter onto the pan. I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup for this. Lift the pan and dump the batter onto it, while rapidly tilting and rotating the pan in a circular motion. You’ll have to move quickly to coat the entire pan with the egg batter. If there are gaps remaining that you are unable to fill with the batter on the pan, fill them in with a small amount of additional batter.

6) Allow the crepe to cook until you start to faintly see a golden brown colour from underneath the crepe – approximately 2 minutes.

7) Use a spatula to gently loosen the edges of the crepe (I like to use this slotted spatula – Update: this spatula just broke. Can no longer recommend). Then slide the spatula underneath and flip the crepe. If it doesn’t lay flat once flipped, gently adjust it with the spatula or with your fingers.

8) Cook on the second side for approximately 1 minute – you want the crepe to be nicely golden on both sides, but not quite brown.

9) Transfer the crepe to a plate, stacking the crepes one on top of the other.

10) Lightly grease the pan with the ghee or coconut oil in between crepes.

Tips:

– If you’re making a large batch, use multiple pans.
– You can make each crepe with much less than 1/4 cup batter, but you’ll likely have to fill in more holes, and the crepes end up being more crispy and prone to breakage. I prefer mine on the slightly soft/fluffy side.
– The crepes cool very quickly so you may want to keep your plate of crepes in the oven at a low temperature to keep them warm.
– If you’d like, you can substitute heavy cream for the water for a slightly more dense texture (I tried both ways and didn’t notice enough of a benefit to bother – plus, using water makes these crepes completely paleo. But, it’s a good way to use up cream that’s nearing its expiry).
– Depending on how hot the pan is and how much batter you used, you may notice large air pockets. If too many of these start to form or you start noticing holes, you may want to decrease your temperature slightly – otherwise, don’t worry about them.

How did your crepes turn out? What did you fill them with and how did you serve them? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

And as always, if you enjoyed this recipe, please remember to share it (pinterest, facebook, twitter, etc.).

okay…THAT is awesome! I will definitely be trying this recipe out,how exciting! It’s great because due to the nature of crepes,they don’really need to be sweet! whatever you put in them will decided if they a savoury or sweet :) I wonder if my french boyfriend will go for these….

Yummo!! What a great recipe! My 4 yo and 16 mo old couldn’t get enough of these (this from a anti-scrambled egg 4yo) They are a new favorite here at out house!
I got a bit better of a brown with butter than coconut oil, also noticed to just grease the pan and not have extra oil, it makes it tougher to get the even egg coating. Also had trouble getting as nice a result in my cast iron skillet, my stainless pan released better.
Over all fabulous, thank you!

Yummm…just added a bit of vanilla in “batter”….inside /strawberry…homemade carmel…/outside choc. drizzle with a dash of powdered sugar! Thank you for breaking down the receipe…just made the one….so I only ate one!

Why do you consider them a “cheat” meal? With these, it’s just eggs – unless you fill them with something really sugary.. These crepes have a different texture than a flat omelette.. they’re less eggy.. the only thing I can really compare them to is crepes..

We are not exactly paleo around here but definitely limiting our grains and legumes. This is perfectly, simply brilliant. I’m thinking stewed spiced apples with sour cream and cinnamon on top… maybe dinner tomorrow after the wrestling tournament. Comfort AND celebratory food in one!
Found you through Food Renegade’s Fight Back Friday. Good find. Thanks for posting.

I just made these and they were delicious! Not quite like crepes, but more like a really really thin omelette, and they were really enjoyable. :) I didn’t cook them on the other side, but they still turned out alright. They tasted great with some mushrooms and spinach for breakfast. Thanks for the idea!

I love the simplicity of this and couldn’t wait to try it. I was cooking for one so just did 1 egg with the Tbsp. of water. This was so quick and great. Worked out perfectly in my cast iron pan. No problem releasing at all. Love the idea and will use it again and again. I filled mine with leftover veggie stirfry and it was fabulous. Thanks for the recipe. I really love it.

I just made these and wow, how versatile!!
I made 4 small ones out of two eggs. Ate two with strawberry jam and the other two savory with some deli-meat, cream-cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

The egg taste is there when you happen to have a bite without as much topping but definitely not too in-your-face. I also had some coconut flavor on it as I used coconut oil, not having butter or ghee at hand.

I made these twice-once with water and once with half broth. Great both ways! I love having a low carb wrapping. Cooking them took a little practice, but I was too eager to flip them at first. It doesn’t hurt to let them get nice and brown and dry on the edges before they are turned. They’re much sturdier then. Thanks for the recipe. Who woulda thunk eggs and water would make crepes!

Made these this morning for breakfast and they turned out great. I cooked them on medium heat for a little longer so I wouldn’t have to flip them over and it worked really well. I filled them with a pear/Apple cider reduction and topped with coconut cream. Delicious! Can’t wait to try them with a savory filling!